Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1887-04-26
.copynrti. is,'. - Atsc,i fcrt,'
THE GOOD OLD TIMES OF A
CENTURY AGO.
BY Jrp0E G. 7. WnrrNlS
Chapter !.
LOOKING roR LAND ~ HuSr

Chapter j.
LOOKING roR IASp ~ MAINE.
The war va, practically over. and It
va. now ba, question Of time and ne
so,ia,ion when the independence Of the
American Colonie. would be Acknowl.
edged by Gre., Bi,Aia. Oar county,
a, ,hA, time. consisted Of thirteen Colo
ni,.. stretching from Canada. on the
North. 90 Floriis. on the South. with the
Atlantic on ,h, East. (placing them BE-.
yond ,h. easy reach oi the nations OF
Earope. Anl consequently of their quar-
rel. and wars. COZ which reason We ought
20 ,ins Il. praise q. the Gsrmans the Riv-
er Rhine and on the we., by the Mis-
.i..ippi River. |, was a land rich IN
resources, which only needed developing
10 make /, the be., and mos, fruitful
eoun,ry under the ,un. II W. poor IN
everything else. exeep, IN is men aud
women, than whom a noblef and better
people. a. seen a, the beginning. during
and AZ the close % the war Of the Rsvo-
luton. never existed in any land. not
even in Greece and Rome IN the days OF
their glory.
They hAd been exhausted by the s'fug'
gle. ior freedom. and reduced 10 poverty.
Their government was sroPe OF sand
The currency va. worthless Aad trade
va. s,asnAa,. Oar fathers. that 'h-y
nigh, live comfortably during tie last
year. of lhsir existence. and leave some
thing for their children. 'oush, homes IN
the wilderness. and accordingly /, tide on
emigration ,e, in from the mofe ,tieklyssi
lied portion. Of New EaslAnd, 20 the from
tiers. Land. were obtained by gr.n, and
purchase. some for the purpose OF spec
ula,ion. bu, by fAr the greater part Tor
actual settlement
The Taylor Brothers. upon osins dis
charged from the service found them
.slve. in .trsi,ened eireums,anees haAn-
eially. and seeing no other way TO better
their condition. they determined TO emf
sra,e to Maine. From bis disposition
AID taste. samuel. va. Aver.e 70 staying
=, home. following the occupation Of hi,
father, taking care Of the family. and
having the property, aud !, We. settled
thu. John should take the place Of the
olds., son. The matter Of emigra,Ing
had been much talked aboa, through
the village. aud hunting party, con-
si.,ins Of samuel aud jacob. Capt. Jones
and Jeremiah SsiPes, We. formed TO 10
TO Maine in search Of game aud land.
1--WE can kill two birds with one
stone" said samuel. The fruit. Of
the hun, will furnish means with which
10 pay our expenses, aud the trip will give
US an excellent opportunity TO select
good lots"
Early in the month Of September.
1882. the party wen, 20 Boston. and
procured . passage 20 Falmouth, Me, Ia
a eo..,ins vessel. While 10 the former
city the party fell in with J jonathan Nor
re, a VrginiAn. and soldier with
whom Capt, Jones had become acquainted
during the siege Of Yorktown. He was on
hi. way TO Maine 10 the interest Of Ar.
thur Lee. to examine and report upon the
uae. Of land which had beea granted Lee
by the Legislature Of Massachusetts, 10
1880, for services as Asen, for the colony,
In GreA, Britain. lie also engaged pas.
sage on the vessel. and became one ci
the patty.
Arriving At New Gloucester, on the
frontier. they procured provisions and
,uiele. necessary for their use while
camping out in the forest. Report. oi
excellent lands aud opportunities for se,.
ilemen, on the Androseoggin River ADD
its tributaries. were made TO them. and
they de,.rmined to go into ,hs, section
fri, before seeing Lees tract, OF which
little wa. known. They were fortunat,
ia securing the services Of guide In The
person Of James Graham, greA, hunter
Who Was somewha, familiar with ,hs
country, and knew where game coulC
best be obtained
Taking an early start. they went by |
spotted line TO the river. and following I
trail 10 the mouth Of the N,zinsoo,'
turned westward and reached Blake
Mills in Sylvester Csnads,t the SAM
day.
Amer examining the lands open 70
settlement in that grant. they proceeded
farther up the river to the junction Of ,h
eastern and western branches. in which
vicinity were the elearings Of Bepj
spAulding, Abij.h and Nathaniel Buck
Thomas Allen and Others Here the.
were informed that toward the South
near Sheppsrd's line, otter. beaver. an
other game could be found in abundance
, and in the vicinity Of the mountain
toward the wee, were the haunts OF th
bear, while moose aud deer could be ob
tanned near the head waters Of the Nsiin
; scot.
They decided to 70 southwardly, an
: crossing . small stream flowing north
wsrdly into the river. they kept on ih
. higher ground, and spotting . line .
. they vent. they reached the vicinity
, sheppard's Crafts before the sun hs
, set.
twenty Mile River.
rnsr
. " ss.S .n.s.sra Buelasid.